House of one of the few open transsexuals in Kazakhstan burnt during New Year holidays

Ramil Khassanov from Almaty oblast famous for being the first Kazakhstan transsexual to openly talk about his sexual preferences in one of Kazakhstan's TV shows lost his housing and property to fire, KTK reports.\n

20th January 2013 12:40

Alessia Valenza

Six months ago the young man bought a house in the suburbs of Kapshagay town, a satellite town 75km from Almaty. He invested lots of money and efforts into that house. He spent several days during the New Year holidays in Almaty and came back to find his house burnt to ashes. The damage is estimated at over 7 million tenge ($47 thousand).

“It was a huge shock for me. It was not just a shock, it was a nightmare. I am left without a home, with nothing. All I’ve got lift is one bag and the clothes I am wearing right now,” the victim said. “According to the preliminary version, the house was burnt by unidentified persons. The house was burnt down completely, the roof collapsed inwards and all property burnt out,” deputy head of Kapshagay Interior Department Marlen Duissenbinov said.

Ramil Khassanov believes that the house was set for flames deliberately by people hostile to his views and sexual preferences.